EDITORIAL: Local farmers provide what's for supper

An old TV show used to feature a short comedy bit that posed the question, “Hey Grandpa, what’s for supper?”

And then a Nashville comic known as Grandpa Jones would list off delicacies known to country-style cookin’. It was a quite a lineup of tasty meats and especially vegetables. It’s a sure bet that in the country all of it would come from a nearby farm.

“Mmmm, mmmm,” as Andy Griffith used to say.

Pose that same question today, and many might answer, “Microwavable frozen dinner!”

Somehow, it’s just not the same.

For those who do cook at home, here’s a key question: Where did the food come from? A warehouse? Was it loaded into the back of a truck weeks or even months ago and carried cross-country? Was it made in this country?

Or was it a product of North Carolina and Gaston County?

Consumer decisions can have a profound impact on a community. Those who eat locally are investing in where they live and helping to preserve local farmers and artisans ensuring their traditions continue. By buying locally, people ensure we can savor these authentic flavors in the future.

On average, according to proponents of eating locally, for each dollar spent on products made by large corporations, 15 cents remain reinvested in the local economy. When it comes to the local farmer or business, that number jumps to 45 cents. The multiplier effect makes our local economy more diverse and resilient.

Studies show that eating food produced locally not only benefits the local economy but also provides significant health benefits. Fresh produce loses nutrients quickly. The longer it sits in the back of a truck en route to its destination, the less useful it will be for the body.

According to environmental research and outreach organization the Worldwatch Institute, in the United States, food now travels between 1,500 and 2,500 miles from farm to table, as much as 25 percent farther than two decades ago.

But that doesn’t always have to be the case. Gaston County is ripe with markets, including the Gastonia Farmers’ Market, which opened for the season on April 6. Located at 410 E. Long Ave., hours this month are 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays. Expanded hours come in May when the market opens 8 a.m. to noon Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. And come June, operating hours on those three days get even longer – from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.